Merchandising and display carton



April 3, 1962 F TRANSPORT 3,027,996

MERCHANDISING AND DISPLAY CARTON Filed Oct. 19, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet l F IG. 3. INVENTOR FE-LIX TRANSPORT ATTORNEYS April 3, 1962 F. TRANSPORT 3,027,996

MERCHANDISING AND DISPLAY CARTON Filed Oct. 19, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Fzux TRANsPoR'r ATTORNEYS April 3, 1962 F. TRANSPORT 3,027,996

MERCHANDISING AND DISPLAY CARTON Filed Oct. 19, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 8.

37 INVENTOR FELIX TRANSPORT ATTORNEYS United States Patent MERCHANDISING AND DISPLAY CARTON Felix Transport, New York, N.Y., assignor to Donrico Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Oct. 19, 1960, Ser. No. 63,578 9 Claims. (Cl. 206-4514) This invention relates generally to the class of boxes and cartons and is directed particularly to a new and novel carton structure designed for packaging and displaying an article of merchandise.

In the merchandising of many products, particularly in the cosmetic field, the manner in which an article is presented to the public affects to a considerable extent the appeal to the public or the purchaser. Accordingly, an article which is presented to the purchaser when the article is on display on a counter or in a case, has a great deal to do with whether or not the article might be purchased because of the fact that if the article is attractively set up or put on display it will direct the customers attention to it, whereas it might not be so readily noticed if it is merely set out by itself or displayed in a drab or conventional type of box or carton.

It is a particular object of the present invention, in view of the foregoing, to provide a novel carton for articles of merchandise which will support the article in a proper position on a counter and which will also form an attractive framework or background for the article to enhance the attractiveness of the latter.

It is another object of the invention to rovide a new and novel type of carton which, in addition to displaying the article in an attractive manner as above stated, will support and provide a display frame around the article of such character that, while it holds the article in the desired upright position, at the same time permits substantially the entire article to be viewed.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel article display carton of the character stated which will permit the article to be easily removed for more detailed inspection and replaced or reintroduced into the carton where it will be properly held in position.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a merchandising and display carton or container which is formed in a novel manner whereby an article of merchandise when placed in the carton will be frictionally held in place so that even if the carton is picked up with the article in it the possibility of the article falling from position or falling out of the carton is eliminated.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel folding carton which will serve simultaneously to function as a container and a display device and which is designed to be fabricated as a blank from a single piece or sheet of cardboard or other suitable material of a similar nature, whereby a number of such blanks may be readily stacked and the blank may be easily and quickly folded to form or produce the desired carton structure. I

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to a strict conformity withthe showing of the drawings but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 illustrates in perspective a carton and display structure constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention showing in association therewith and in broken lines a type of receptacle designed to be retained and supported in the carton and also illustrating an advertiring card attachable to the top of the carton.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the developed blank from which the carton is formed.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the advertising card designed for attachment to the folded card.

FIG. 4 is a view in perspective of the carton in partially folded condition, illustrating the manner in which the gluing tongues, end walls and corner gussets are folded.

FIG. 5 is a perspective View in rear elevation of the carton, showing the advertising card in separated relationship thereto.

PEG. 6 is a plan view of a modified form of blank from which a second embodiment of the carton may be fashioned.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of another blank from which a further modified form of carton may be produced, a portion of the blank being broken away.

FIG. 8 is a view in front elevation of the embodiment of the carton shown in FIG. 1 and showing a receptacle in dotted outline and in front thereof and illustrating the positions or relationship of the receptacle holding wings prior to the insertion of the receptacle.

FIG. 9 is a transverse section taken substantially on the line 99 of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a transverse section corresponding to FIG. 9 but showing the manner in which the wings are displaced to their holding position when the receptacle is inserted into the carton.

Referring to the drawings and directing attention particularly to FIGS. 1 and 5, the numeral 10 generally designates a merchandising and display carton constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the pres ent invention.

The carton 10 as shown consists of a hollow body or receptacle having top end and bottom end walls generally designated respectively 12 and 14, a back wall generally designated 16 and a front section which is generally designated 18.

The front section 18 embodies both side wall panels and wing panels as hereinafter more particularly described and the front section is designed in the central part thereof to provide an opening, generally designated 2t), in which may be set an article of merchandise and the front section is also designed so that when the article of merchandise is placed in position in the opening 20 it will be inset in a frame and frictionally held or gripped therein in such a manner that it will be prevented from falling out while at the same time the article can be seen or examined substantially in its entirety. In addition, the manner in which the article is held in the opening 2%) is such that the article can be readily removed and replaced as desired.

Provision is also made for the attachment to the carton at the rear or back of the top wall 12, of a display or advertising card which is designated 22, the novel manner of attaching this card being hereinafter described.

FIGURE 1 further illustrates the display or advertising card 22 in broken outlines and elevated above the carton with the hereinafter described ears for securing it to the carton in a folded position which permits a portion of the card to be inserted in a receiving slot in the top end wall of the carton.

There is also shown in broken outline an elongate merchandise receptacle of a type designed to be placed in the opening 20' of the display carton, such receptacle being generally deseignated 24 and in the form illustrated having a body portion 26 of maximum diameter at its bottom and tapering to a reduced diameter or reduced waist portion intermediate the ends of the receptacle as at 27 and having a circular top or cap 28. In setting forth these details with respect to the receptacle 24 it is 3 to be understood that this is merely one type or style of receptacle which the carton may receive and display and therefore by such description of the receptacle there is no intent to limit the type of article to be placed in the carton.

A novel feature of the present invention resides in the manner in which the carton is formed or may be produced from a single developed blank and FIG. 2 illustrates the blank from which the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1, 5 and 8 is formed.

The blank generally designated B comprises a long rectangular rear panel 29 which provides the rear panel section -.or back wall section of the completed carton.

Extending across one end of the panel 29 is a top gluing tongue 30. The line of joinder between this tongue and the bottom of the panel 29 is designated 31 and the material of which the panel and tongue are formed is slit along the mid portion of this line at 32 to facilitate bending the tongue. Also, one surface of the tongue 30 may be provided with a number of lines of indentations as indicated at 33 to improve the bending effect of adhesive placed on the indented surface for securing the tongue to the underside of the top end wall of the canton in assembling or setting up the same.

The opposite end of the panel 29 joins the wider end of a substantially triangular section of the blank material, which section is designated 34 and this section of the blank in the assembled or set up carton forms the bottom end wall. The triangular section 34 includes the convergent straight side portions 35 which lead into a rounded tip or apex edge 36. The portion of the blank section 34 embraced by the arcuate or curved edge 36 is designated 37 which, as shown in FIG. I, particularly, projects forwardly from the bottom of the opening 20 when the carton is set up for use.

The front wall forming section of the carton in the blank as shown in FIG. 2 is also rectangular in outline and is of greater overall width than the panel 29 and is defined by the short end fold lines 38 and 39 which extend inwardly from the longitudinal sides defined by the fold lines 40 of the section and terminate in spaced relation at their inner ends, the inner ends of the fold lines 39 terminating at the ends of the arcuate edge 36. The longitudinal fold lines 40 define the separation lines between side gluing tongues 41 and to facilitate folding of the cardboard, or other suitable material of which the carton may be constructed, along the lines 40, the material is provided with a number of slits 42.

Between edge fold line 35 and the adjacent fold line 39 a triangular gusset 43 is formed and this gusset is radially divided by a middle fold line 44.

The front section '18 of the blank continues at the end remote from the portion 34 in the extension 45 and the spaced fold lines 38 at opposite sides of the section are continued in a separate fold line 46. Each fold line 38 defines one side of a triangular gusset 47, the opposite side of the gusset being defined by the fold line 43 which is in convergent relation with the fold line 38 and each of these gussets-47 is divided by a middle radial fold line 49. The portion of the extension 45 lying between the fold lines 48 forms the top end wall 120]? the carton when it is set up from the blank.

The front section is slit along a central longitudinal line as at 5t which slit line lies approximately midway between the ends of the section and at the top end the slit 50 joins the apex of a triangular cutout portion, the edges 51 of which diverge from the end of the slit 56 toward and each terminates at the point of connection between the two convergent lines 38 and 48 of a gusset, thus forming a triangular opening 52 and the portion 53 of the material lying in the basal area'of the triangular cutout which forms the opening52 is designed to be folded back under the top end wall portion along'the fold line 46, as hereinafter described.

The opposite or lower end of the slit 5% joins the apex portion of a substantially triangular cutout, the divergent side edges 54 of which are outwardly bowed to form the bowed arch opening 55 and the ends of these bowed edges 54 terminate at the ends of the arcuate edge 36 as shown.

In the embodiment of the carton structure as illustrated by the blank of FIG. 2 the material of the front section 13 is marked with the two arcuate score lines 56. The arcs defined by these score lines 56 are positioned with the concave sides in opposed relation and with the slit 50 and cutout areas 52 and 55 lying midway therebetween and each of the score lines 56 extends from the apex of a gusset 47 to the apex of the gusset 43 at the opposite end of the section. There are thus formed by these score lines 56 the wing panels 57 and the portion of the front section lying between the convex side of each score line and the adjacent longitudinal fold line 49 constitutes a side wall panel which is designated 58.

In describing the procedure of folding the blank of FIG. 2 to form the merchandising and display carton reference is had to FIG. 4 of the drawings. The procedure consists of folding the back panel 29 across the base of the triangular portion 34 on the fold or score line 34, toward the rear side of the front section 18. The bottom gussets are folded along the three fold lines of each so that each gusset breaks inwardly along the center fold line 44 and outwardly along the outermost fold lines, one of which for each gusset is designated 39, while the other fold line is along the edge 35 of the triangular portion 34. Each of the bottom gussets when'thus folded to break inwardly along the center line thereof will form a double walled triangular rib, as indicated at 43 in FIG. 4, and which double walled ribs of the gussets project inwardly and thus the bottom edges of the side wall panels 58 are brought in toward the adjacent edges 35 of the triangular portion 34 which provides the bottom end wall of the carton.

The side gluing tongues 41 are folded inwardly along the lines '40 to engage the inner face of the back wall panel 29 and when so folded inward the tongues All be interposed between the ends of the double walled triangular folded gussets as shown in FIG. 4.

A similar folding operation is performed on the gussets 47 at the top end of the carton, the gussets being broken inwardly along the medial fold lines 49 and the portion of the extension 45 lying between the gussets is folded down along the fold line 46 to lie between such intermediate portion which forms the top end wall 12 and the opposing side of the double thick triangular rib 47'.

With the top gluing tongue 30 folded over as shown in 'FIG. 4, it is inserted between the top end wall 12 and the triangular ribs 47' and the glued top surface of the tongue, the glue being designated 30 in FIG. 4, is pressed against the underside of the top end wall.

The faces of the side gluing tongues are also adhered to the opposing surface of the back wall panel or, if preferred, the top gluing tongue 30 may be the only one used to glue the parts together, the side tongues merely being inserted in the manner shown and described.

The wings 57 are bent inwardly along the score lines 56 and it will be seen that by the provision of the triangular gussets at the top and bottom corners of the front section, when the gussets are folded in the manner stated, the entire front section will be substantially bowed across the front of the carton from one longitudinal edge of the back wall panel to the other. The bowing of the front section is, however, not on an unbroken or uninterrupted arc but is such as to position the side panels in rearwardly diverging planes from the fold or score lines 56 and the wing panels 5'7 will be caused to slope inwardly slightly in convergent relation toward the back wall of the carton by reason of the bending of the carton material along the arcuate score lines 56.

The triangular portion 53 which is retained in the cutting out of the triangular or V-shaped opening 52 is turned under and adhesively secured to the underside of the top end wall, thus providing stiffening reinforcing for the wall.

When the carton is thus set up in the manner described the inwardly extending wing panels 57 will be separated along the slit 50 to provide the article receiving opening 20 hereinbefore referred to.

The opening 20, as shown in FIG. 8, is formed so that it will be of less width than that of the receptacle 24, or other article to be set thereinto for display. Thus, when the article, such as a bottle or other receptacle here shown in broken outline in FIGS. 1 and 8, is placed upon the projecting portion 37 and pressed into the opening the sides edges 51 and 54 of the cutout portion will be engaged and forced apart by the adjacent parts of the receptacle and thus the cardboard of the carton, or other material of suitable character from which the carton may be formed, will be placed under some tension in the wing panel portions and in the side panels, causing the edges 51 and 54 to frictionally grip the carton.

It will also be apparent that by forming the edges 54 of the cutout 55 in the outwardly bowed designed, when the round body of the receptacle is pressed into the opening these edges 54 will engage and extend more than 180 around the circular surface of the article so that the gripping action of the edges against the body of the article will extend throughout the entire length of each of the edges.

The bending of the wing panels will also tend to cause the edges of the cutouts 52 and 55 to curve even though the edges 54 may not be bowed so that the edeges 51 of the upper cutout will likewise engage around or partially encircle the top portion 28 of the receptacle.

As hereinbefore stated, while the receptacle illustrated and described is one having the body constricted between its ends so that it is actually of larger diameter at the top and at the bottom than in the middle, the carton in its design will accept and hold an elongate receptacle of any other design where the cutouts 52 and 55 are provided in the proper size to receive the desired article and therefore the invention is in no way to be construed as being limited to the holding of a receptacle or article of merchandise of the specific configuration here shown.

As hereinbefore set forth, the fold line 31 for the gluing tongue 30 is slotted through a substantial portion of its length midway between the ends of the gluing tongue, at 32 and when the tongue 30 is folded over as shown in FIG. 4, this slot will open up. When the tongue 30 is inserted along the underside of the top end wall it will register with a recess 32' formed along the back edge of the part 45 which provides the top end wall and thus the slot 32 will remain unrestricted so as to receive a portion of the advertising or display card 22.

The card 22 is preferably of the same width as the back of the carton and the bottom edge of the card is cut inwardly from the side edges along upwardly converging lines 60 which terminate short of the vertical center of the card to form the opposite extending tongues 61. These tongues are adapted to be bent or folded in wardly along the longitudinal fold line 62, thereby providing a central tongue portion 63 which is of the proper width to be inserted in the slot 32 and to facilitate the insertion of this tongue portion 63 into the slot 32 the lateral tongues 61 are folded inwardly as illustrated in broken lines in FIG. 1 so that the lateral tongues, with the central tongue are inserted through the slot 32 and then when the tongues are positioned below the underside of the top wall 12 the lateral tongue 61, due to the resiliency of the material, will open out as shown in dotted lines in the top portion of the carton in FIG. 1, and thus act to hold the display card in position and prevent the same from being withdrawn.

FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate modifications of the article gripping wings whereby to adapt the carton to the reception of articles of merchandise of different forms.

In the first described form of the article the score lines 6 along which the wings 57 are bent are in the form of unbroken arcs.

In FIG. 6 it will be seen that the score lines which are designated 64 are in the form of broken arcs in that each score line 64, while it substantially defines an arc, is made up of two straight portions 65 which lead from the remote ends of the line outwardly to meet at the point 66 which is substantially at the transverse center of the front section of the blank, which front section is here designated generally by the reference character 18a. Thus the two article gripping wings, here designated 570, have a slightly different configuration from the wings 57 and in addition to the broken arc of the score lines 64, each wing has a middle transverse score line 67 which will permit the wing to break transversely slightly when it is bent inward.

FIG. 7 illustrates another form of the blank wherein the score lines for the gripping wings define broken or interrupted arcs. Here the score lines are generally designated 70 and each score line has a straight middle portion 71 and angling end portions 72 extending from opposite ends thereof in divergent relation with one another and toward the longitudinal center of the front section 1811 in which the score lines are pressed. Thus the wings 57b have generally the same configuration as the wings of the previously described forms but the arcuate outer portions defined by the score lines 70 have a curvature interrupted in three places instead of two so that the wings will break in a slightly different manner and adapt themselves to the article to be placed in the carton for display. In both of the blank forms shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 the construction of the blank and of the carton produced therefrom is the same in all respects with the exception of the form of the wings along their outer borders or along the break lines thereof and accordingly no detailed description is believed to be necessary of the other parts of the blanks.

From the foregoing it will be seen that there is provided by the present invention a new and novel merchandising and display carton having many desirable features such as ability to hold an article of merchandise in place in the carton and at the same time permit the article to be placed on display in such a way that the article can be Viewed from many sides or, in other words, can be seen substantially in its entirety Without having to be removed from the carton. On the other hand, the construction of the carton that the article, although it is held against accidental displacement, can be easily and quickly removed if desired and also readily replaced where it will be again firmly or securely frictionally held.

I claim:

1. A merchandising and display carton adapted to receive an elongate article of merchandise, said carton comprising top end and bottom end walls, a rear panel section between and joined to said end walls, and a front section, said front section embodying a middle wall forming portion and side wall panel portions, said middle wall forming portion being characterized by a pair of article gripping wings each integrally joined along laterally and rearwardly bowed borders to and projecting inwardly in convergent relation from the side wall panel portions toward said rear panel, said wings being arranged to have an elongate article inserted between inner edges thereof, and said wings having top and bottom end portions of the inner edges each convergent with an end of the adjacent bowed border and functioning to yieldingly resist insertion of an article between said edges and to partially encircle such an inserted article to thereby effect a gripping action on the article.

2. A merchandising and display carton comprising a back Wall section, a top end wall and a bottom end wall and a front section, said back wall section having opposite ends secured to the end walls, said front section including a middle portion and lateral side wall panels, the side wall panels having outer longitudinal edges joined to longitudinal sides of the back wall section, the side wall panels having ends joined to the top end and bottom end walls, and said middle portion embodying elongate continuous wing panels having longitudinal inner edges, the latter edges of the panels being spaced apart and each panel extending the length of and being joined along a longitudinal laterally bowed outer border to a side wall panel and projecting inwardly toward the back wall section in convergent relation with the other wing panel.

3. The invention according to claim 2, wherein said wing panels have the said spaced inner edges contoured to conjointly form an opening contoured to embrace by encirclement thru more than 180 an elongate circular body introduced into the opening.

4. A merchandising and display carton, comprising an oblong back wall, top end and bottom end walls each joined to an end of the back wall and projecting forwardly therefrom, said end walls'each having forwardly convergent side margins, elongate side wall panels each joined along one longitudinal side margin to a longitudinal side of the back wall, each side wall panel having end margins each joined to an adjacent one of said convergent side margins of an end Wall whereby the side wall panels converge forwardly, and inwardly converging longitudinally continuous and also longitudinally rearwardly bowed wing panels each joined along a laterally outwardly bowing outer margin to a side wall panel and each having a free inner margin, said free inner margins of the wing panels being spaced from the back wall and being contoured to receive and hold between them an article inserted therebetween.

5. The invention according to claim 4, wherein the said outwardly bowing outer margins of the wing panels define an unbroken are having terminations at the forward ends of the side margins of the top and bottom end walls.

6. The invention according to claim 4, wherein the join between the convergent side margins of the end walls and the end margins of the side wall panels is by means of interposed center-infolded integral triangular gussets.

7. The invention according to claim 4, wherein the bottom end wall has a portion which 'lies between and projects a substantial distance forwardly beyond the adjacent ends of the said inner margins of the wing panels to form a supporting surface for an article.

8. A blank for a merchandising and display carton, said blank comprising, in an integral elongate sheet of material, an oblong back wall section, an oblong front section of materially greater width than the back wall section, a bottom end wall panel of substantially triangular outline and located between said sections and having a base margin of a length approximately equalling the width of the back wall section and having side margins converging toward the from section, triangular gussets joining said converging side margins with adjacent transversely directed bottom edge margins of the front section, a top end wall panel portion extending from that end of the front section remote from the bottom end wall panel, the top end wall panel having a long outer margin and a short inner margin, said latter margins being joined by inwardly converging side margins, triangular gussets joining said inwardly converging side margins with transversely directed margins of the front section, a gluing tongue joined to and extending along the longitudinal side margins of the front section, a gluing tongue extending across the end of the back wall section remote from said bottom end wall panel, said front section having outwardly bowed 'fold score lines extending longitudinally thereof and spaced apart on opposite :sides of the longitudinal center of the front section, said score lines having the convex outer sides thereof spaced from .said side margins of the front section, and said front section having therein a central longitudinal slit joining at each end with the apex of a substantially triangular opening, each of said triangular openings having the base thereof extending between two adjacent converging ends of the fold score lines.

9. In a merchandising and display carton, the new combination of a carton body comprising an oblong back wall, top end and bottom end walls, each joined to an end of the back wall and projecting forwardly therefrom and having side margins, elongate side wall panels each joined alongone longitudinal side margin to a, longitudinal side margin of the back wall, each side wall panel having end margins each of which is joined to an adjacent one of said side margins of an end wall, and inwardly converging longitudinally continuous and also longitudinally rearwardly bowed wing panels each joining along a laterally outwardly bowing outer margin to a side wall panel and each having a free inner margin, said free inner margins of the wing panels being spaced from the back wall and being contoured to receive and hold between them an article inserted therebetween, the said top end wall and an infolded gluing tongue joining the top end wall and the back wall and said top .end Wall and gluing tongue being formed to provide a slot, and acard body having a winged tongue extending through the slot and the tongue wing engaging the inner side of the tongue and securing the card body to the top .end of the. carton and projecting upwardly therefrom.

References, Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,996,172 Reed Apr. 2, 1935 2,018,861 Mertz Oct. 29, 1935 2,108,278 Webber Feb. 15, 1.938 2,946,433 Hennessey July 26, 1960 

